Code Names for Armored Units in the West
This is a list of code names from 1944 that was used by Germany for armored units on the Western Front.
When determining code names, it is important that the names do not give any hints to what the code name covers. Conversely, the person who created these code names seems to have gone to quite some length in order to achieve exactly the opposite.
Unit | Code name | Comment |
---|---|---|
2. Panzer-Division | Zwitschervogel | "Chirping bird". Beginning of the code word is phonetically similar to the German word for two, Zwei. |
9. Panzer-Division | Neunkirschen | German city. Beginning of the code word contains the German word for nine, Neun. |
11. Panzer-Division | Elfenbein | "Ivory". Beginning of the code word contains the German word for 11, Elf. |
21. Panzer-Division | Feuchtigkeit | "Humidity". |
116. Panzer-Division | Hundertmark | Common German name. Beginning of the code word contains the German word for 100, Hundert. |
Panzer-Lehr-Division | Lebensweg | "Vocation". Beginning of the code word is phonetically similar to "Lehr". |
1. SS-Panzer-Division | Leibach | Probably from "Laibach", the German name for the city Ljubljana. Beginning of the code word refers to the division's name, Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler. |
2. SS-Panzer-Division | Zweibrücken | German city. Beginning of the code word contains the German word for two, Zwei. |
9. SS-Panzer-Division | Neunendorf | German city. Beginning of the code word contains the German word for nine, Neun. |
10. SS-Panzer-Division | Zentrifuge | "Centrifuge". Beginning of the code word is phonetically similar to the German word for ten, Zehn. |
12. SS-Panzer-Division | Zwickmühle | "Dilemma". Beginning of the code word is phonetically similar to the German word for 12, Zwölf. |
3. Panzer-Grenadier-Division | Drilling | "Tripple". |
15. Panzer-Grenadier-Division | Fünfziger | "Fifties". Phonetically similar to the German word for 15, Fünfzehn. |
25. Panzer-Grenadier-Division | Viertel | "Quarter". |
17. SS-Panzer-Grenadier-Division | Goethe | The division's name, Götz von Berlichingen, is also the name of a drama by the German writer Goethe. |
Panzer-Brigade 106 | Feldmütze | "Field cap". Beginning of the code word refers to the brigade's name, Feldherrnhalle. |
Führer-Begleit-Brigade | Gleitvogel | "Gliding bird". The beginning of the word appears in the middle word of the name of the brigade, Begleit. |
Führer-Grenadier-Brigade | Granate | "Grenade". The beginning of the word is similar to the middle word of the name of the brigade, Grenadier. |
Panzer-Abteilung (Funklenk) 301 | Semper 1 | "Semper" is latin for "Always". |
schwere Panzer-Abteilung 506 | Semper 6 | |
Sturmpanzer-Abteilung 217 | Semper 7 | |
Panzer-Kompanie (Funklenk) 319 | Semper 9 | |
Sturmmörser-Kompanie 1000 | Sturmboot Null | "Assault boat zero". |
Sturmmörser-Kompanie 1001 | Sturmboot 1 | "Assault boat 1" |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 653 | Hubertus 1 | Hubertusjagd is a traditional mounted hunt using hounds, named after the Saint Hubertus. It is a type of Hetzjagd (cursorial hunting). |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 682 | Hubertus 2 | |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 683 | Hubertus 3 | |
Festung-Pak-Abteilung 501 | Hubertus 4 | |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 741 | Hubertus 5 | |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 654 | Hubertus 6 | |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 657 | Hubertus 7 | |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 668 | Hubertus 8 | |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 519 | Hubertus 9 | |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 681 | Hubertus 10 | |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 686 | Hubertus 11 | |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 708 | Hubertus 12 | |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 559 | Hubertus 13 | |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 560 | Hubertus 14 | |
Panzerjäger-Abteilung 655 | Hubertus 15 | |
Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 341 | Stürmer 1 | "Stormer". |
Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 902 | Stürmer 2 | |
Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 243 | Stürmer 3 | |
Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 244 | Stürmer 4 | |
Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 394 | Stürmer 5 | |
Fallschirm-Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 11 | Stürmer 6 | |
Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 667 | Stürmer 7 | |
Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 905 | Stürmer 8 | |
Fallschirm-Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 9 | Stürmer 12 | |
Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 280 | Stürmer 10 | |
Sturmgeschütz-Brigade 911 | Stürmer 11 |
Sources
- Decknamen für Pz.-Verbände West. Berlin. 2 p. NARA T78 R621.